A DAT score report includes several individual numbers, not just one overall score, and understanding what each one actually means makes it much easier to evaluate your own results realistically.
The 200-600 scale
Effective March 1, 2025, the DAT reports scores on a 200-600 scale, in 10-point increments, for each individual section -- replacing the older 1-30 scale entirely. If you come across older prep material or score comparisons that reference the 1-30 scale, treat that information as outdated; make sure anything you're using reflects the current scale.
Related: What to Expect on the DAT: Format, Scoring, and How to Prepare
The eight individual scores
Your report includes a separate scaled score for each of the following: Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Perceptual Ability, Reading Comprehension, Quantitative Reasoning, a combined Total Science score, and an Academic Average.
What the Academic Average actually includes -- and doesn't
This is one of the most commonly misunderstood parts of the DAT score report. Your Academic Average is the simple average of just five of those eight scores: Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Reading Comprehension, and Quantitative Reasoning. Your Perceptual Ability score and your Total Science score are NOT included in the Academic Average calculation, even though they appear on the same report. Many applicants assume the Academic Average reflects their overall performance across everything -- it doesn't.
No pass/fail threshold
Unlike a licensing exam with a fixed passing score, the DAT has no universal pass/fail cutoff. Individual dental schools set their own admissions standards, and most look at your section scores individually rather than applying one fixed number across every applicant. This means "what score do I need" doesn't have a single universal answer -- it depends entirely on the specific programs you're applying to.
What dental schools actually look at
Most dental schools publish, or will share on request, the typical score ranges of their recently admitted classes -- both for the Academic Average and for individual sections. Checking these specific ranges for your target schools is far more useful than aiming for a generic "good score," since competitive ranges vary meaningfully between programs, and some schools weight specific sections (like Perceptual Ability, given its relevance to hands-on dental work) more heavily than others in their own internal review.